Arizona judge refuses to reconsider order denying driver's licenses to (non-white) immigrants

[JURIST]

US District Judge David Campbell on Thursday refused to reconsider stopping an order [JURIST report] by Governor Jan Brewer [official website] denying driver's licenses to young immigrants who have been granted work permits. Campbell has yet to schedule a trial [Reuters report] on the merits of the contention that the policy instituted by Arizona's Department of Transportation [official website] is illegal. Until such a ruling is issued, participants of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals [official website] program will remain unlicensed. Federal officials estimate that potentially 80,000 Arizonans are eligible.

Last month the Connecticut Senate approved legislation [JURIST report] that would allow undocumented immigrants to obtain driver's licenses regardless of documentation status. Similar laws have already passed in Maryland, Illinois and California [JURIST reports]. The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) [advocacy website] filed a lawsuit challenging Brewer's order [JURIST report] in December